Avengers: The Initiative #10
Killed in Action, Part 3: Confirmed Kills
A Few Years Ago[1]
The New Warriors — Night Thrasher (Dwayne Taylor), Justice (Vance Astrovik), Firestar (Angelica Jones), Namorita, Rage (Elvin Haliday) and Speedball (Robbie Baldwin) — have just fended off an invasion of the Badoon with the help of Ultragirl (Suzi Sherman) and Slapstick (Steve Harmon). After talking it over, Justice invites them on the team as official New Warriors. After being given communicators, Slapstick tries hitting on Namorita angering her. Ultragirl has to pull him away to scolds him for not acting like a real New Warriors.
Three Days Ago
The more things change, the more they stay the same. The surviving members of the original New Warriors — Rage, Ultragirl, Slapstick, and Debrii (Deborah Fields) — are while meeting in the barracks, Slapstick takes the chance to goof off, as usual. They had just learned that their former New Warrior, Justice (Vance Astrovik), had gone AWOL after going somewhere with Cloud 9.[2] Rage thinks the rest of them are being blackballed when he and his fellow former New Warriors became lead suspects in the beating of their drill sergeant, Gauntlet (Joe Green), and vows to get even with whoever really did it.[3] Although he fears reprisal from Elvin, Slapstick tries to own up to the fact that he was the one who beat up Gauntlet. However, before he can, he is interrupted when something in his Infinite Pockets starts beeping. It turns out to be his old New Warriors communicator and it is a call from Justice. He tells them that he is investigating the mystery surrounding MVP (Michael Van Patrick) who hasn’t been seen since his first training session.[3] He tells them to sneak out of Camp Hammond and meeting him in Tennessee to help with his investigation.
Now
Cloud 9 (Abby Boylen) was sent to get help as the Initiative is under attack by a deranged clone of MVP named KIA. She heads to the barracks to find the other trainees, only to discover that Rage and the others are not there. Looking around for anybody, she walks in on Hardball (Roger Brokeridge) and Komodo (Melati Kusama) having sex with one another, something that is forbidden under Initiative rules. Abby doesn’t care about what they were doing and says that someone is attacking the camp and they’ll probably need an army to stop whoever it is.
In the subbasements of the facility, KIA is searching for those he blames for the death of MVP, Gauntlet in particular. Joe Green had just woken up from his coma and, under the influence of his own alien weapon, has gone to the armory to retrieve a blade that was handed there. After a bit of a search, KIA’s Tactigon weapon zeroes in on a nearby target on his list.
This target is Henry Gyrich who is in the war room where SHIELD agents have just shut down a virus KIA put on their computers. They get the security systems back up and running long enough to ID the intruder just as he comes smashing into the room. As the SHIELD agents form a line to protect Gyrich, he flees the room while sending orders for the Shadow Initiative to be deployed to his location. Answering the call are Bengal (Doc Noh Tranh), Constrictor (Frank Schlichting), the Scarlet Spiders (also clones of MVP), and the mysterious Mutant Zero. Seeing Mutant Zero being deployed convinces Bengal that the threat involved must be very serious.[5]
In the training room, the newest recruits have just been defeated by KIA. As Taskmaster searches for Crusader’s severed hand, he finds that Ant-Man (Eric O’Grady) is still alive.[6] O’Grady asks if they are going to answer the call to battle and is relieved when Taskmaster declines to do so. The two then sit down to watch some shows on Ant-Man’s mobile device.
Back in the War Room, Constrictor tries to restrain KIA with his adamantium coils. KIA’s Tactigon responds by creating razor wire that amputates Frank’s arms at the elbows.[7] That’s when the Scarlet Spiders unmask, hoping the fact that they too are clones of MVP will allow them to reason with KIA. This fails to work, and he decapitates one of the Spiders.[8] While the fighting resumes, Mutant Zero grabs Gyrich to bring him to safety as her mutant powers cloak them from view. As KIA looks for Henry, his Tactigon detects another target incoming. This is Gauntlet, who is still under the alien influence of his alien weapon. As the two brawl, Baron Bon Blitzschlag wakes up and recharges himself with an exposed wire. After seeing all the others clones of MVP have been slaughtered, he pushes aside his anguish and begins working on a solution to the crisis at hand.
By this time, Gauntlet has knocked KIA outside, where Cloud 9, Hardball, and Komodo have rallied Hellcat (Patsy Walker), Gargoyle (Isaac Christians), Stingray (Walter Newell), Triathlon (Delroy Garret, Jr.), Nighthawk (Kyle Richmond), and Stature (Cassie Lang). KIA instantly recognizes the trio as more of his targets to kill. While Hardball freezes at the sight of a dead man, Komodo takes command and orders everyone to fire. Returning fire, KIA injures everyone before he is attacked by Gauntlet again. While struggling with his foe, KIA uses the Tactigon to wake Joe up, leaving him disorientated. However, before he can be killed the two surviving Scarlet Spiders arrive to save the day.
Cloud 9 gets to cover behind the statue of the Human Torch,[9] and tries to make sense of what’s going on. There she is found by Baron Von Blitzschlag, whose body is failing him. With no time to lose he tells the girl to listen what he has to say. He hands her a device that she will need to download the unfractured mind of the only living untainted mind of Michael Van Patrick. Unfortunately, with the real MVP dead, and the Spiders mixed with some of the Baron’s own DNA, they have to find the first clone. Luckily, Blitzschlag had him chipped with a tracking device that will help them find him since he was moved to a secret location.[10]
Regrouping with Hardball and Komodo, the trio then use the Negative Zone portal to get to Bulls Gap, Tennessee where the clone of MVP is living and unassuming life with his father. They ambush the Van Patricks and try to use the device on Michael even though it will wipe out his mind. Obviously, the clone resists their attempts. Before they can force the device on Michael’s head, they are ambushed by Justice and the other former New Warriors, who are sick and tired of people compromising morals for the “greater good”!
Recurring Characters
The Initiative staff: Henry Gyrich, Gauntlet, Baron Von Blitzschlag, Taskmaster, Justice, Nighthawk, Stingray, Hellcat
Trainees: Ant-Man, Cloud 9, Crusader (voice only), Debrii, Geiger, Gargoyle, Hardball, Komodo, Rage, Slapstick, Stature, Triathlon, Ultragirl
Shadow Initiative: Bengal, Constrictor, Mutant Zero, Scarlet Spiders
KIA, SHIELD, Brian Van Patrick, (in flashback) New Warriors (Night Thrasher, Firestar, Namorita, Speedball), Badoon
Continuity Notes
According to the Marvel Chronology Project, this story takes place after the events of Ultragirl #3 which was published in 1997. Comparing it to the publication of that issue and this one (2008) to the Sliding Timescale, this flashback occurs about 3 years prior to the main story.
They refer to themselves as ex-New Warriors, as the majority of the team was killed in Civil War #1 during the Stamford Disaster. The surviving members disbanded due to the public backlash against the Warriors, as seen in She-Hulk (vol. 2) #8. Justice became part of the Initiative staff in Avengers: The Initiative #1, but he went AWOL in issue #6, which I will explain below…
Gauntlet was beat into a coma in Avengers: The Initiative #6 by Slapstick. Here, Ultragirl mentions how she was recruited into the Junior Guardsman Program. That was in New Warriors (vol. 4) #7.
MVP was killed in a training exercise accident in Avengers: The Initiative #1, which was quickly covered up by Yellowjacket and Henry Gyrich. Part of this plot involved creating a clone of MVP and sending him back to his family home, as revealed in Avengers: The Initiative #4. When Justice went back to the Van Patrick home in issue #6, he discovered that the Van Patricks were moved somewhere else, and is why he went AWOL. The revelation that the Initiative has been cloning MVP was revealed in issue #7.
As detailed in Avengers: The Initiative #5, Mutant Zero is only used once an operation and only if warranted. This has to do with her unstable nature. At the time of this story her true identity is unknown. She is revealed to be Mary Walker (aka Typhoid Mary) in issue #20.
This team of fresh recruits got their asses handed to them last issue. Here, Taskmaster says “only those who matter” survived. The only person killed was Dragon Lord, as will be confirmed in Avengers: The Initiative #12.
Constrictor will be given bionic arms in issue #12. As of this writing (July, 2024) he still relies on these prosthetic limbs.
This is the Scarlet Spider going by the name Van. As of this writing (July, 2024) he is still considered among the deceased.
Camp Hammond was named in the memory of the original Human Torch who, at the time of this story, had died in All-New Invaders #9. He will be revived once more in Torch #2.
Here, Hardball gives away the fact that he knows that MVP’s body was being kept in the lab. He made this grim discovery while stealing SPIN tech for Senator Arthur Woodman in Avengers: The Initiative #4.
Topical References
In the flashback, Slapstick uses the phrase “cool beans”, this should be considered topical as this is dated slang. In the present he shows off a brand new Super Soaker, and mentions the Road Runner when his New Warriors communicator goes off. The reference to Super Soaker is topical because it is a real world brand. The reference to the Road Runner however, wouldn’t necessarily be considered topical because using a contemporary example in its place would likely change the joke being made.
Ant-Man states he has two episodes of Chuck on his iPod. This was an action comedy series that ran from 2007 to 2012. This is a double topical reference as Chuck is a long cancelled series and the iPod was discontinued in 2022.
